Star Wars: The Old Republic for Spring 2011

EA and Bioware have confirmed that they are planning a Spring 2011 release for the new Star Wars MMO, Star Wars: The Old Republic.

The confirmation follows hints yesterday from EA boss John Riccitiello that Spring 2011 would see a "new, major MMO" being released. That's now definitely a reference to the new Star Wars MMO - which many think to be the first credible threat to World of Warcraft. Of course, lots of people said the same about Lord of the Rings: Online and The Matrix: Online too.

"While we have not announced a specific date, we can confirm that we are targeting a spring 2011 release for Star Wars: The Old Republic," BioWare's Sean Dahlberg wrote on the official SWTOR forum, via Eurogamer.

"We've got a lot of exciting updates and reveals planned throughout 2010, including the first-ever hands-on testing for the game. It's not too late to sign up to be a game tester, so go to [the official site] and sign up today.

"We can't wait to share more about the game with you as we progress through the year, so make sure you stay tuned to the official website for details."

We had a look at Star Wars: The Old Republic last year and, despite the cartoon aesthetic that some some find unfitting, the game is shaping up superbly. You can find out more about the game in our Games to Watch in 2010 article.

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